ISLAM’S COMMITMENT TO NATION-BUILDING

According to Islam, every citizen must abide by the law of the land. For example, a particular institution might have regulations on uniform which might go against the religious dress code of a particular community. Here the person does not have any right to fight against the regulation. He has to choose between two options. Follow the rules if one is keen on being a part of the institution or give up the desire to be a part of it. This is the teaching of Islam. Life is a package deal of both pleasant and the unpleasant; one cannot create one's own package. We cannot pick and choose everything we desire in life. A true believer—one who follows the pristine teachings of Islam—will be involved in progressive work for the neighbourhood, city, nation and humanity. It will be an unthinkable contradiction for him to be engaged in something harmful to society, not only to human society but also to the environment. The Prophet once remarked, “By God he is not a believer, he is not a believer, he is not a believer, whose neighbour is not safe from his evil.” Clarification of a Few Misconceptions It would be relevant here to discuss a few issues regarding the attitudes of the people of a community which sometimes indicate to others that wherever they are in a minority they do not consider themselves as a part of the nation. What does Islam have to say about such attitudes? Community Superiority Is any particular community superior in the eyes of God? The Quran clearly mentions that no community is inherently superior to any other. (2: 62). God does not have a special relationship with any particular community. He has regard solely for a person’s thoughts and deeds. In the Hereafter, people will be judged according to their deeds and character and not on the basis of the group or community to which they belong. Numerical Strength Does being less in numbers mean that one can never progress in life? According to the Quran, a minority with the right attitude can contribute even more than the majority. We have examples before us where small communities have contributed positively to their nation and are also doing very well as a community. On this Indian soil of great We can find guidance in Islam for nationbuilding. According to the Quran every prophet of God addressed the entire nation as, ‘O my people’, not as, ‘O my community’.